Cold emailing is an art. Do it right, and you convert complete strangers into delighted customers. Do it wrong, and you get an inbox full of unsubscribes.

Many entrepreneurs make rookie mistakes with their cold outreach. They blast generic sales pitches or come across as robotic and spammy.

This post shares battle-tested tactics for crafting compelling cold messages that spark meaningful conversations.

Why Cold Email?

Cold email gets a bad rap. People associate it with the shady stuff enveloping our inboxes – the phishing attempts, malware links, and outright scams.

But done properly, cold email works. Partly because it’s personal. An individual crafted this message just for you. Partly because it catches you off-guard. This surprise contact from an unfamiliar sender feels like destiny reaching out.

I should know. Cold email kickstarted my startup too.

I cold emailed sites running Yahoo Store and asked if they wanted better performance. Got tons of yeses. Many became our first users.

Does cold outreach still work in 2024? You bet.

94% of people open work emails on mobile. And even on tiny screens, creative messages can still make an impact.

The trick lies in understanding the mind of your recipient. Put yourself in their shoes. Then craft something truly compelling.

This guide shares battle-tested tactics for exactly that.

Step 1: Set Crystal-Clear Goals

Let’s start with the basics. Be clear about what you want to achieve.

Do you want to:

• Book more sales calls?
• Generate more leads for your sales team?
• Land media coverage?
• Recruit beta testers?
• Get more subs for your newsletter?

When your objectives are fuzzy, your messages will be too.

Pro tip: Set a numeric target. Numbers focus your mind.

For instance, commit to a goal like:

“Book 25 sales demos through cold outreach this quarter.”

Now you have clarity. Time to strategize how to get there.

Step 2: Define Your Target Persona

Imagine an archetypal user of your product. This is your buyer persona.

Visually map out details like:

• Job title
• Goals
• Pain points
• Objections

This exercise isn’t to stereotype people. It simply uncovers common needs and interests within a group.

When you understand key details like these, your messages become remarkably more relevant.

So before your next cold email spree, sketch out your persona on paper. Keep them in mind as you compose each message.

Step 3: Find the Right Prospects to Email

Your hard work crafting emails won’t matter if you’re sending to the wrong folks.

So first, locate prospects that match your buyer persona as closely as possible. Prioritize ones dealing with related pain points.

How to find good prospects to cold email:

Search LinkedIn for ideal titles

For instance, if you sell project management software, target people with titles like:

• Project manager
• Program manager
• Product manager

Pro tips:

• Search by company too
• Look for recent new hires

They tend to be more open-minded to new solutions.

Check their Twitter bios

Does the prospect chatter about relevant issues on Twitter? Follows leaders in your space? Use cases for your product?

These signals suggest they’re more likely to welcome your solutions.

Leverage existing connections

Got mutual connections on LinkedIn? Work those relationships to get introduced. A warm intro goes much further than a cold message.

Buy targeted email lists

Some email list providers (like Hunter) let you search for companies and people by criteria like:

• Industry
• Company size
• Job title
• Location

Use this to locate your ideal customers.

Just stay away from shady “business email lists”. Those are often scraped without consent. Stick to reputable providers.

Step 4: Craft a Value-Packed Subject Line

You’ve found the right prospect. But they won’t see your brilliant message if it gets buried.

Make your subject compelling enough to catch their eye amidst overflowing inboxes.

The #1 key is conveying value quickly. Demonstrate you understand their needs.

For example:

Bad:

• Meeting request
• Coffee?
• Quick chat?

Good:

• [Company] – 30% faster deployments
• $1M in wasted engineering hours
• You’re losing 25% of revenue

The sharper subject piques interest by highlighting a specific opportunity or issue.

Make it personal too. Include their first name whenever possible:

• Hey [First Name], how to fix slow deployments
• [First Name] – losing 25% of revenue?

Avoid spammy urgency words like “Free” or “Act Now”. And yes, emojis work when used sparingly.

If you want scientific optimization, A/B test a couple subject lines before full outreach. Gauge open rates to see which variant works best.

Just remember: convey value quickly. Do this, and you’re off to an stellar start.

Step 5: Lead With Relevance in Your Opening

You got them to open. Awesome!

But you’re not out of the woods yet. The average attention span today is just 8 seconds.

Grab their interest immediately in your opening line. The best way is by demonstrating relevance.

Do your homework. Study their website, social media, blog posts, or news coverage. Then work those details into your first sentence.

For example:

• “Congrats on raising your Series B!”
• “I checked out your new iOS app. Nicely done.”
• “Just read your post on migrating from Postgres to MongoDB.”

This achieves two things:

• Shows you care enough to research them
• Establishes common ground

Both make you seem like less of a spammer.

If finding shared interests feels tricky, get creative:

• Sports teams / leagues
• Local landmarks / hangouts
• Alma mater
• Past employers
• Mutual connections on LinkedIn

With a thoughtful, personalized opening, you grab attention for the pitch ahead.

Step 6: Make Your Offer Crystal Clear

Alright, time for the meaty value prop. Explain what’s in it for them.

Succinctly describe how your product or service solves their problem or achieves their goal.

Protein powder company? Mention you can save them $X per year in ingredient costs.

Recruiting firm? Note you can slash days from their hiring cycle.

See the difference? Benefits-focused vs. me-focused.

To reinforce your offer:

• Quantify value with specifics like time saved, money earned
• Social proof with logos of happy customers
• Proof-of-concept by demonstrating your expertise on their challenges

And remember Aesop’s fable – don’t overdo it. Keep it concise. Attention spans are 8 seconds, remember?

Hit key points and then move on to your CTA.

Step 7: End with a Clear Call-to-Action

Alright, you teed up the value prop cleanly. Don’t leave them hanging!

End your email with a clear, clickable next step.

• Request a meeting
• Ask for a quick call
• Invite to demo
• Download X report

Make it dead simple for them to engage further.

Pro tip: Give suggested time slots to improve response rates:

• “I’m free Tuesday at 11am EST or Wednesday at 3pm EST. Let me know what works or send some times that fit your schedule.”

When you spoon feed dates like this, you make it effortless for busy prospects to schedule. No back-and-forth negotiation required.

And if sending one-off emails, make your CTA a clickable link for extra convenience:

• Schedule a Meeting
• Hop on a Call

These little frictions removed go a long way.

Step 8: Follow Up (the Right Way)

You hit send. Now what?

If they don’t respond instantly, don’t sweat it. Executives can receive up to 200 emails daily. Yours needs to stand out from that noise.

Here’s how to follow up effectively:

Wait at least 4 business days before your first nudge. Let them clear their backlog before circling back.

When following up:

• Switch up the subject line so it looks like a new email
• Thank them for their time
• Recap your initial request as a reminder
• Reiterate next steps / meeting links
• Offer different date/time options

And that’s it! No need to overcomplicate things.

Pro tip: Attach a calendar invite (.ics file) to your follow up. This is a more visible reminder of the meeting.

How many follow-ups to do?

Experts recommend stopping at 3 follow-up attempts. Anything beyond that risks annoyance.

But those companies blasting my inbox 3x a day? Straight to spam.

I’d stick to 2 thoughtful follow-ups spaced 4+ days apart. Then move on if no dice.

Step 9: Master the Art of Personalization

What separates a forgettable note from an irresistible one? Personalization.

Treating people like people. Not faceless targets. Craft messages that truly resonate at the personal level.

Use their name

Address them directly by their first name. Feels less robotic, more human.

Also shows you cared enough to look them up.

Research their work

As we discussed earlier, reference recent projects, campaigns, promotions, etc. that show your familiarity with their work.

When you know the details, you demonstrate authentic interest in connecting.

Local events / issues

Connect on local happenings like store openings, sports games, or community events.

Show you share common ground in the area to spark instant rapport.

Personal interests

Piece together tidbits they share on social media or elsewhere:

• Favorite sports teams
• Alma mater
• Causes they support

Then find thoughtful ways to reference in your message.

The more you customize, the less you come across as a bulk spammer. Which means higher response rates all around.

Step 10: Track Open and Reply Rates

You crafted a gem. Clicked send. Now what?

The first order of business is seeing if your message is even getting through. Are people opening it?

Some ways to track:

• Email tracking apps like Mixmax and Streak that notify you of opens
• Follow up templates asking “did you see my previous email?”
• LinkedIn shows if your InMail was viewed

Tracking open rates tells you whether your subject line and sender name are working.

If low open rates:

• Try new subject lines
• Test different sender addresses
• Revisit your prospect targeting

Ideally aim for 30-50%+ open rates. Benchmark yourself against that.

Replying is great. But even an open is a small win. It means your prospect somewhat cares. Enough to at least peek at your note.

To track replies:

• Enable email read receipts if your prospect’s email system supports it
• Log response rates for each campaign in a spreadsheet

Doing regular pulse checks on open and reply rates is crucial. It shows what messaging works vs. fails.

Use that intel to continuously refine your outreach for better results.

Refine and Repeat

Rinse and repeat the process above – crafting sharp messages, tracking rates, iterating.

Set goals, experiment relentlessly, find what messages convert.

Then double down on those successful templates with laser targeted outreach.

Do this continually over time, and you transform cold connections into delighted customers.

15 Sales Email Templates

Here are 10 sales email templates for different use cases, based on the content provided:

1. Referral email template

Subject: Could you make an intro?

Hi [name],

I came across [company] and was very impressed with their work in [relevant accomplishments]. I would love to connect with someone on their team who handles [relevant function] to discuss potential ways we could collaborate.

Do you happen to know the right person I should speak with? Any introductions you could make would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks, [Your name]

2. Follow up meeting request

Subject: Following up on [company]

Hi [name],

I hope you’ve been well! I wanted to follow up on my previous email asking if you had any availability to connect regarding [topic].

As I mentioned, I saw [detail] that made me think there could be a great opportunity for us to partner together. Please let me know if you have any time in the next couple of weeks for a quick call to explore this further.

Looking forward to hearing back! Best, [Your name]

3. Industry trend update

Subject: Recent changes in [industry]

Hi [name],

I noticed [company] seems focused on staying ahead of the latest [industry] trends, so I wanted to reach out about some upcoming changes that could impact your business:

[List 2-3 relevant industry trends]

At [company], we specialize in helping clients adapt to changes like these. Would you be open to a quick call to discuss how we can help [company name] stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of these industry shifts?

Let me know what works for you!

Thanks, [Your name]

4. Event follow up

Subject: Congrats on [recent company achievement]!

Hi [name],

I just saw that [company] recently [launched new product/landed major client/achieved milestone] – congratulations! That must be exciting for your team.

Here at [company], we’ve helped organizations like yours [achieve relevant outcome] following major achievements like this. Would you have a few minutes this week to connect about how we may be able to partner together during this period of growth and change?

Let me know what works best for you. Keep up the great work!

Best, [Your name]

5. Quick solution email

Subject: A quick solution for [relevant pain point]

Hi [name],

I noticed on [relevant public information – website, social media, news article] that your team at [company] seems to be facing [common pain point]. We have a [solution] specifically designed to help address challenges related to [pain point details].

If you have 5 minutes later this week, I’d love to schedule a quick call to give an overview of how our [solution] could quickly alleviate some of these issues for your team.

Let me know if any of these times work for you: [List 2-3 availability options]

Best, [Your name]

6. Offering valuable industry report

Subject: [Industry] trends to boost business

Hi [name],

I know staying on top of the latest [industry] trends and insights can be hugely valuable but time-consuming for companies like [company name]. We recently released our [annual/quarterly] industry report highlighting key data like:

[List 2-3 data highlights from report]

I’d be happy to share a copy with you in case the information included could benefit [company name]’s strategic planning. Just let me know!

Best, [Your name]

7. Offering free trial or demo

Subject: A closer look at [product]?

Hi [name],

Our records indicate that [company] previously expressed interest in [product], so I wanted to offer a closer look. We’re providing free [trial accounts/product demos] to select customers interested in [ summarize key benefits of product].

If you’d like to experience the features and capabilities of [product name] firsthand, I can schedule a free demo or activate a trial license for your team to try. Just let me know whenever works best for you.

I look forward to speaking more! Best, [Your name]

8. Reconnecting with past prospect

Subject: Long time! Quick question for you

Hi [name],

Hope you’ve been doing well! It’s been a while since we last spoke back when you were at [former company]. I noticed you recently joined [new company] – congrats on the new role!

We have a new [offering] geared specifically toward [prospect’s industry/role] that I thought could be a great match for [new company’s] needs. Do you have a few minutes this week for a quick call? I’d love to catch up and get your take on this.

Let me know a day/time that works! Best, [Your name]

9. Offering social proof through client win

Subject: Big news at [company]!

Hi [name],

I have some exciting news I thought you’d be interested in. We recently helped our client, [name], achieve [quantifiable win]. I know you mentioned [pain point] as a key priority, so I thought this recent success story could be useful as you evaluate options.

Would you have any time for a quick call this week? I’d be glad to share more details about how we helped [client name] see such great results and may be able to do the same for [company name].

Let me know what works for you! Best, [Your name]

10. Thank you email template

Subject: Just wanted to say thanks!

Hi [name],

It was great speaking with you earlier today – thank you so much for taking the time to chat. I know things must be incredibly busy over there at [company]!

I really enjoyed learning more about [relevant detail prospect mentioned] and appreciate you sharing insight into some of [company name]’s strategic priorities for the coming year. That additional context helps ensure we can provide the most relevant, impactful guidance possible.

Feel free to reach out if any additional questions come to mind or if you’d like any supplemental information around [topic discussed]. Looking forward to partnering more in the coming months!

Best, [Your name]

11. Template for sales prospects downloaded content

Subject: Thanks for downloading [name of content piece]

Hi [prospect name],

I noticed you recently downloaded [name of content offer] from [company name] and wanted to reach out. I hope you found the information useful!

Here at [company], we specialize in helping [prospect industry or role] leverage [relevant capability] to [achieve key outcome]. We’ve helped companies like [company names] improve their [metrics] by [percentage] within months.

If you ever have any questions on the topic or want to discuss further how [company] could help [prospect company] achieve similar results, I’m always happy to chat. Just let me know!

Best, [Your name]

12. Following up after meeting at conference

Subject: Great to meet you at [conference name]!

Hi [prospect name],

It was a pleasure speaking with you at [name of conference] last week. I sincerely enjoyed learning more about your goals for [prospect company] in expanding into the [relevant location or space].

As discussed, our expansion consultation services would be a natural fit to help lay the strategic groundwork for that initiative. Please feel free to reach out anytime if helpful benchmarks, sample timelines from past clients, or other materials could be useful in your planning process!

I look forward to staying in touch. Let me know any time if I can answer additional questions.

Best, [Your name]

13. Template with insights or development in prospect’s industry

Subject: New [prospect’s industry] report you may find interesting

Hi [prospect name],

I recently came across an intriguing industry report focused on emerging trends in the [prospect’s industry] space I thought might interest you.

Some of the key highlights include:

• [Data point 1]
• [Data point 2]
• [Data point 3]

I know staying ahead of market changes is crucial in your role overseeing [relevant function] at [prospect company]. Feel free to reach out if you would like me to forward a copy of the full report or set up a call to discuss further and brainstorm potential implications for [prospect company].

Best, [Your name]

14. Quick win email template

Subject: A quick win for [prospect company]?

Hi [prospect name],

I hope you don’t mind me dropping you a note. I was recently discussing pain points in [prospect’s industry] with clients and couldn’t help but notice [prospect company] may face similar challenges around [relevant pain point].

Fortunately, making [simple change] can help significantly alleviate issues tied to [pain point]. Based on past clients, [quantifiable results prospects could expect].

Let me know if you would ever like to discuss easy ways to achieve a quick win in this area for [prospect company]! Happy to offer strategic guidance however I can.

Best, [Your name]

15. Template for offering case study relevant to prospect

Subject: Case study on improving [relevant metric]

Hi [prospect name],

I wanted to pass along a case study highlighting one of our recent client success stories that I thought could interest you. We helped [company name] improve their [relevant metric] by [percentage] within [number of months].

As I know [prospect company] has been similarly focused on boosting [same metric], please feel free to reach out anytime if you would like me to share a copy of the full case study. I’m also happy to schedule time to discuss how we achieved these results and may be able to replicate that success for [prospect company name].

Just let me know! I look forward to staying in touch.

Best, [Your name]

So that’s it – go forth and craft some killer cold messages. Wishing you sky-high response rates!

Hope you enjoyed this guide. Let me know if any other tips for writing high-converting cold emails!

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